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Friday, 8 July 2011

Up a bit, down a bit - 6th July

This week there are a few examples of trainers trying out their horses in better races and being subsequently hiked up the ratings for running well and yet winning little money for their efforts and thereby being restricted in where they can run next because of their ratings increase.

British Stallion Studs E.B.F./ Park Suite Fillies' Handicap Class 3 6f Good To Firm Pontefract
Sioux Rising won here by a head from Desert Poppy with another head back to Favourite Girl in third and Entitled in fourth. The latter although drawn on the outside was slightly dissapointing following her good run previously and you would have expected her to do better in this and it is hoped this was just a blip. The winner was winning off her highest mark of 89 and it was her first win for 2 years although she had been running well on the AW. She has gone up 3lb probably because she made use of a stall 2 draw, whereas the second who was drawn widest of all in 12 goes up 2lb to 89 and she has run a couple of good races now on the bounce so maybe capable of going one place better soon. Mosaicist didnt really fire here after looking good at Kempton and the stable think the track was the reason for the poor show although she was walloped with a 10lb rise for her Kempton win and has been dropped a pound now.

Rewards4racing.com Handicap Class 4 5f6y Good SandownRitual made it 4 wins on the bounce on his first start back in 2011 for Jeremy Noseda by winning this handicap by a length from Night Affair with the improved Doc Hay, who remains capable of better, back in third. He is favourite for a very competitive Class 2 Handicap at Ascot on Saturday and although he looks capable of further improvement on this showing he may however be biting off more than he can chew as he's up against the likes of Macs Power. He has gone up 7lb for this win to a mark of 90 and he is a sprinter to follow whatever happens on Saturday and his trainer had this to say afterwards "It's just been niggling foot problems which have kept him off the track. It's great to see him back and that was a nice surprise as I didn't think he was fit enough to win today. We'll take a look at the Steward's Cup but he may have to go up a bit to get in." Race Time : 1m 1.27s

Aarca Sales Recruitment 10 Year Anniversary Handicap Class 4 6f Good To Firm Warwick
Barkston Ash got back on the scoresheet after his below par run at Chester due to him not acting on the track and he remains one to watch in Handicap company. He beat Restless Bay by 3/4 of a length with a further neck to Close to the Edge and he has gone up 4lb for his efforts to a mark of 79.

Bet365.com Conditions Stakes Class 3 6f Good To Firm Haydock
Although High Standing won this race his rating has dropped by 2lb which is in contrast to Fitz Flyer who finished 1 1/2 lengths back in third who has been raised 5lb to 95. Ok that they've finished third in a Class 3 Conditions Stakes but connections have only picked up £1,211.00 and it would probably have been better keeping his mark and trying to win a handicap for which he would have got a similar penalty but would have won more money and he is a gelding after all.

Coral Charge (Registered As The Sprint Stakes) (Group 3) 5f6y Good To Firm Sandown
Similarly in this both Beyond Desire and Humidor in finsihing 2nd and 3rd have both been raised 11lb's each to marks of 103 and 104 and one wonders what connections of Humidor were thinking as although theyve finished 3rd in a Group 3 they only won £5,380.00 and now may struggle if reverting back to handicap company. As it was both made the best of the good draws that they had like the winner Night Carnation and the only good thing is they have both probably gaurenteed themselves a run in the Stewards Cup for which they are entered. Race Time : 59.68s

Below are the Handicappers comments taken from the BHB's excellent site for last weeks sprint racing :

The most prestigious sprint race during the last racing week was the Group 3 Coral Charge Sprint on the Eclipse card at Sandown and it was won by the Andrew Balding trained Night Carnation.

As ever on the 5 furlong course at Sandown the field raced up the far rail and a low draw looked preferable – in this field of 10 runners the first three home came out of stalls 2, 3 and 1. The 2nd (Beyond Desire) and 3rd (Humidor) came into the race with the lowest official ratings of 92 and 93 respectively so their prominent finishes must cast an element of doubt over the form. Despite that I feel the winner is a sprinter of some quality and, in taking this by 1¾ lengths going away, I have her running to a figure of 108+. This is the same figure she achieved when winning a C&D handicap off a mark of 99 earlier in the season and her revised rating will be 109. This means that Beyond Desire records a figure of 103 and Humidor records 104 – I intend to move both to an official rating in line with what they ran to in this race but I do have in the back of my mind that both may have been a touch flattered. Interestingly the historical level of this race over the last 5 years has the winner running to an average of 108.

The most memorable sprint race of the week for many people would have been the 4.10 at Yarmouth on Thursday which was won by the ever popular 14-year old The Tatling. He won his first race in July 1999 – a 2yo Maiden race also at Yarmouth. Amazingly enough he went from winning a Claiming race in July 2002 to winning the Group 3 King George Stakes at Goodwood in July 2003 and on to winning the Group 2 Kings Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2004. He also managed to finish 2nd three years running in the Group 1 Nunthorpe at York – getting within a head of taking the prize in the 2005 race. Plying his trade at a far lower level nowadays he lined up at Yarmouth in a handicap running off a mark of 60 but he still managed to produce his customary late burst to take the prize by 1 length and thereby record his 17th career victory. His revised rating will be 65 and with his enthusiasm intact I would hope (and expect) that he remains competitive from that mark

About Me

I have been a follower of racing from an early age with my first memory being trying to pick the winner of the Derby in 1965. This interest has moved on to having shares in horses which has resulted in wins at the Dubai Festival, with Turn on the Style, and more recently with Tatlisu.
This blog is primarily about sprinters which I have always had an interest in and it will cover most 5f and 6f races throughout the season.